DirectX 11.1 graphics
The most likely housed in the same chip as the CPU cores graphics unit of the Xbox one dominated DirectX 11.1 and AMD also complies with current Radeons such as the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition unused GCN Architecture ("Grafic Core Next"). While Sony confirmed but eighteen "Compute Units" (merger of 64 shader units) for the graphics unit of the Playstation 4, Microsoft is silent on the number of compute units of the Xbox One.
As Digital Foundry reported , but the number of 768 instructions per clock for the video unit slipped out a Microsoft engineer. Since AMD's GCN architecture is known that every "Compute Unit" can handle 64 operations per clock, lets assume that the Xbox One have therefore twelve Compute Units should - the Playstation 4 would have with its 18 Compute Units, at least theoretically 50 percent more graphics performance! Whether the information is true, it is too early to say with certainty. However, the number of twelve Compute Units fits in with earlier came into the public eye Developer documents for Xbox One.
Unlike Sony, Microsoft also silent about the capabilities of the graphics unit for physics computation, even if v and due to the DX 11.1 compatibility of the close technical relationship to PS4 hardware would have to be present. Those who hope that the next console generation physics calculation by the graphics card (which then support both PS4 and Xbox One and PC) clearly gaining in importance, so it must still fear something. When Playstation 4 in contrast to the Xbox one is in fact clear that they their 18 "Compute Units" can dynamically use as needed for graphics or physics calculations and not as current PC graphics cards until the entire chip from graphics to physics mode and must switch back again.
According to Microsoft, the power consumption of the combination of CPU and graphics unit is a maximum of 100 watts, is due to the greatly improved power saving but usually much lower. Probably it creates Microsoft therefore to integrate the power supply into the housing of the Xbox One - who else knows the brick of the first Xbox 360, will be pleased. Microsoft also promises improvement in the volume: The Xbox is one of the nearly soundless loud presentation, we also expect, however: Anno 2013 are noisy fan simply unacceptable.
Ports, hard disk and Blu-ray
The connection panel equips Microsoft made the Xbox One with one input and output to HDMI 1.4a standard. The HDMI input is used to connect external video player device such as a satellite receiver. Films and photos can be the Xbox one (like the Playstation 4) output in 4K resolution, games and movies but most are presented in full HD and delivered on Blu-ray. The drive has a comfortable slot-in system also supports DVDs and has a custom Microsoft controller chip to protect against with the Xbox 360 still possible mods that allows the reading of copied discs. An optical S / PDIF digital output for 5.1 sound is also provided. In addition, a Gigabit LAN port and Wi-Fi (802.11 / b / g / n), where the communication is done with the controllers via WLAN.
The internal hard disk capacity of 500 GB, but it is not replaceable - especially in view of the much faster and cheaper SSDs always a shortcoming. You may expand the limited storage space at least by connecting an external audio source to one of the three USB 3.0 ports on the Xbox One, which will be then be used as the internal hard drive. The drive against the PS4 will most likely have it replaced again - the Playstation 3 in any case support regular 2.5-inch hard drives and SSDs that also.
Xbox One Software
According to Microsoft's presentation of the Xbox One owns three operating systems: First, the clearly drilled the Xbox 360 (supposedly even better hardware access for game developers and the larger dash board). This is a Windows (8)-part allowed (for apps, Kinect, updates, and network functions) and a virtualization partner, the two initially mentioned system operates as a virtual machine, and then the virtually instantaneous switching around between full gaming performance and multimedia functions . Thus, the current Windows kernel now not only runs on desktop PCs, laptops and smartphones but also on the first console. However, Microsoft probably wants to avoid that is talked about the "Windows 8 box" after the latest windows part is not very popular.
Another indication of the affinity with Windows 8 is the Snap feature with which content can be two, side by side - about a game and next to the Skype app or the TV program. However, apparently only known from Windows 8 ratio, where the lateral app is only a quarter of the screen space available, while the other three quarters occupies. Dividing in any two areas of equal size, or even further appears to not work.
